Two Lost Souls
by Queen Thomas Of Emily Place
Summary: The rebellion failed. Peeta is gone. Gale is gone. Her home, her family, even her loveless feline Buttercup has been taken from her as she is taken captive by the Capitol and sent to a brothel as punishment. What happens when she is offered safety by someone who once tried to kill her? Is it really worth escaping the frying pan only to fall into the fire? Adult Themes plus spoilers
1. Songbird

**Hey Hunger Games fans :) Welcome to my new and improved HG fanfic! I hope you enjoy it.**

**I do not own any of the Hunger Games content except that which I contributed myself in the following content.**

**Warnings of ADULT THEMES - Rated for a reason folks :)**

**ENJOY**

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She often wonders what may have happened if the rebellion succeeded.

She pondered if she would return to another District and create a new life there. Perhaps she would have gone with her mother to another District and taken care of them both after losing Prim. Maybe she would go to a nicer more humble District and begin simple life as a farmer. Ah, who is she kidding? She would go to her home in District 12 with Peeta and maybe begin a family. That would have been nice.

But there's no chance of that anymore. Peeta is gone. She shudders at the memory of Snow piercing Peetas' temple with a small dagger. It was tiny but it sure did the trick.

She remembers in that moment feeling every last morsel of human purpose within herself disappear as quickly as the blade did into her lover's skull. She screamed. She lunged at the porcelain beast like a puma and tried to rip out every last organ with her bare fingers. Needless to say that ended quickly when the guards came in and...*sigh*...she was beaten half to death...

Yeah. Some memories are not so great.

She thought about this as she sat in the dressing room. It was the usual routine; foundation, powder, concealer, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, faux eyelash extensions bedazzled with rhinestones... and lastly the coverage of all scars.

This task took a particularly long amount of time as her body was littered with them. The owner, Helio, ordered her to cover her marks with three inches of makeup so as not to discourage the customers. Once she's done this she would done her sexy show girls costume and be ready to go.

However she always liked to take whatever minutes she could get away with to sit in her chair and stare at her reflection until the guards forced her out.

Tonight she had barely three minutes to sit and cry on the inside (shit's tragic) before the stupid "escorts" wrestled her out of the room. Not that any actual wrestling was involved. Katniss had stopped fighting years ago.

Before they had her out the door she was approached by a short, stumpy man by the name of Puge – pronounced_ peuush_ - (Katniss liked to call him "Pudge" behind his back – suits him better) who looked rather excited. "We have special clients in tonight, Songbird." His eyebrows raised excitedly as she rolled hers internally at her stupid designation. "We assured them only the best from the best." He gestured towards Katniss with admiration as if she were a prime sculpture etched out of gold.

Needless to say she didn't want to stick around for the gory details. She'd dealt with the best of them; from politicians (friends of Snows – ugh) to simple Capitol folk who had a spare roll of bills. She'd done everything. So much so that she no longer cared – neither about her body nor whose body part would be entering her from which entrance in whatever style they desired. She was sick of fighting. Fighting got you nothing – nothing but an empty wallet and a new scar to add to the collection.

Pudge spoke extra enthusiastically as he said "I don't think you'll be expecting this one..."

Another mental eye roll.

"These clients are _very _special and only a select few girls from this club have served them," He dabbed at her makeup – Katniss not daring to move an inch as he went about his business – and said "You'll love it. This client was a victor."

Immediately her fists clenched. For some reason she always regarded victors hiring prostitutes – her in particular – as a type of betrayal from her own kind. I mean she was one of them once wasn't she? She _is _one. No matter how many brothels Katniss is thrown into they can never take that away from her.

Pudge stared at her expectantly.

"What?" She muttered.

He raised an eyebrow and said "Don't give me that. He's going to be escorted to Private Room 5. Please try to accommodate him the best you can." He winked and left the room.

Katniss bit back her emotion, reminding herself that everyone who walks through the front door to this building is the same old scum bag searching for a good time. It was her, along with fifteen other women and girls, job to provide that for them.

She navigated through the main room, dark and smoky, and clacked in her heels towards the VIP section. _Forget, Katniss, _she repeated her mantra. _Forget. _

She pulled back the curtain with two fingers, stepping into sexy-numb-to-human-emotion-songbird mode. Her heart almost stopped as she saw the plume of thick blond hair, spiked messily to one side. For a fleeting moment she thought it could be him... Peeta... That she had not indeed witnessed Snow murder him in cold blood.

But, of course, logic kicked in and she remembered he was just another customer. Then when she actually studied his face, it was as if her heart really did stop. His eyes, cold and heart wrenchingly familiar, stared at his shoes like he'd been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

She had to stop herself from spitting his name, the anger and adrenaline from the games rekindling as she remembered more and more of his character. _You, _was all she could think. She pondered the chances of getting away with biting off his dick. "Too rough?" she could say to Pudge who would then have her reported to Snow and then either punished or executed. Not that she really cared. You get to a point in life where your life has been threatened so much that it no longer matters to you anymore.

He looked her in the eyes. Shit. _I know her, _he thought. Initially he felt anger then fear that she would murder him. He knew she recognised her (it's very hard to forget the face of someone who tried to kill you on a regular basis) but she was biting her tongue and reading through his filled in request sheet.

She avoided looking him in the eye as she held in her surprise at how little he'd asked of her; One five minute lap dance followed by a brief seduction that involved some neck suckling, crotch teasing and ear biting. This was easy stuff.

_Don't forget who this guy is, _she reminded herself. _He is still the enemy. _

When she looked up, Cato was staring right at her. His eyes held something unfamiliarly tender within them – something she was not used to: _compassion. _

_Stop it, _she thought.

She couldn't bring herself to speak so she merely nodded, bit her lip and pretended like she didn't hate him with the fire of a thousand suns right now.

He sat at the head of the velvet bed, his back against the wall. Following the routine she crept across the sheets on all fours avoiding eye contact until she was completely straddling him. He was holding his breath which is odd.

She moved and swayed and grinded her hips against his crotch. Facing away from him, she lay her head in the arch of his neck, resisting the urge to rip his ear off the best she could. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his jaw like he was also suppressing a violent outburst.

When the dance was done she began the seduction. Returning to her trademark pose on all fours, she moved over him and kissed his neck, peppering the surprisingly soft skin with kisses as she made her way from one side of the neck to the other. She licked the arch of his ear at one point and felt him shudder – like they always do.

Thankfully these don't last longer than about five minutes as a seduction is merely the act of getting them all hot and heavy. Helio designed it as a type of advertisement almost to make the clients want to purchase a whole session. She hoped Cato wouldn't request one.

When she finished he handed her the cash and she held the curtain open for him. They hadn't spoken a single word to each other the whole time.

Her shift goes from eight thirty at night to three in the morning so by the last client she was truly exhausted. She received her schedule of clients for the following day and was surprised to see at the very bottom "Cato Calloway – Sensual Dance w/ Seduction."

He was coming again.

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**So what'd you think?**

**I actually wrote a lot more but I'm so tired that I couldn't managed to sort it all into one chapter that makes sense. Expect the next installment by the end of the week :)**

**So how do you feel about it so far? Any questions? Let me know in a review and your queries will be addressed in the next chapter.**

**Enjoy FanFic searching and Happy Hunger Games :) **

**PEACE OUT HOMEDOGS**


	2. Hope

**Hey HG fans :D Welcome to the next installememt of Two Lost Souls. **

**I know I'm like way way over my dead line but I was ambushed with babysitting and school work that I hadn't anticipated :( Yay for being a teenager.**

**Anywho here is the next chapter and I promise I will keep to my deadline next time!**

**ENJOY!**

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Both Katniss and Cato lay in their beds that evening replaying the odd memory through their minds.

Katniss's room consisted of about ten single size beds, five against opposite walls. She shared this with nine other girls which she'd been told was generous to compared to lower class brothels where they're fitting thirty women into rooms fit for up to fifteen.

Every girl was assigned a bed, a table and a very small chest to store what few belongings you were prohibited. Katniss didn't have anything to take with her. She had nothing but the locket around her neck and the clothes on her back. She did find a picture of her family in her back pocket and guarded it fiercely, never letting anyone see it; even to the friends she had made. The locket contained a small topaz Peeta had given to her. She didn't dare bring it out to show the others.

Sleep was usually her time to escape. Katniss would hold the locket in both hands and curl up in a ball, shutting out reality and falling into her memories where times were more hopeful. Tonight she tried to focus on a thought about the time Peeta planted a dandelion in her room back at District 13. But the events of tonight kept her awake.

Why was Cato here? Why would he waste his time and money on no good services when he's bound to have a string of lovers available at his disposal?

_Because he's Cato, _She thought. _Bastard._

Dancing for him felt more uncomfortable today than last time because now she couldn't fight the image of the bloodied up, violent man she'd seen in the arena. The image taunted her as she dipped and twirled and stretched for him. His cold blue eyes followed her, not seemingly interested in her body – more so her face.

More than once he made prolonged eye contact which Katniss was starting to be annoyed with. She began rolling her eyes back at him to show she wasn't impressed. But she danced until the five minutes were up.

This was usually when she'd ask in her false sexy voice if he was interested in further 'servicing'. She couldn't bring herself to do it so she spat out in a firm, calm tone "So will that be all for you today?"

He looked away from her. She looked at the sheet and remembered the seduction. "Oh yes, right. Okay."

This went more comfortably than the dance because she was too close to him to make eye contact. She avoided his gaze by burying her face in his neck, biting gently at the skin whilst secretly fantasizing of ripping his throat out.

When the dance was over, she opened the curtain for him – her own subtle way of saying _fuck you – _and let him leave.

She'd hoped he wouldn't come back. She was tired of the awkward silence and the tension. At least with strangers you don't feel any sort of emotional response whatsoever. She used to when she first arrived here but...after a few clients you learn to switch those responses off.

She bit her lip in anguish that evening, praying that this was indeed the last time.

But it wasn't.

He came back time and time again. Every evening he would show up asking for a dance and a seduction. Katniss wondered if he was being paid to do this or if he was really just a sick person. Either way she hated him more and more every time he lay behind the curtain. She wanted to ask him what the fuck was wrong with him. This whole thing felt like a giant bitch slap to her reality as a prostitute.

One night after about a dozen sessions with the tribute, she saw his name scrawled on her appointment list and couldn't help it. For the first time she begged the manager if she could switch – if she could swap clients with another girl, just _once. _

"Don't be stupid!" Helio cackled, his breath reeking of aholoc (some rich, disgusting form of Capitol alcohol) "That client is one of our highest paying patrons. He wants you only. You're the best."

He walked off before she could say anything.

Katniss never understood why he kept coming back. She means the first encounter was awkward enough and most special clients will see you once then never return and that was sort of the miracle she was hoping for. When Cato began showing up on a regular basis she was starting to get worried.

When she pulled back the curtain, her hair curled into thick hay and her face caked to the max, she wanted to cry. She was so angry with this boy for consistently mocking her pain – not just for the first time but for coming back over and over again.

She continued on with the dance as usual pretending that his very presence didn't make her want to barf. He always asked for the same thing – a lapdance and a seduction. He not once asked for sex or a blowjob or even just a simple backrub. She thought to herself that maybe she could persuade him to leave. How, you ask? Well the only way she knew was best._  
_

After she finished her dance and seduction she didn't get off him. She'd done it for him so many times by now that Cato knew exactly when his time was up and he was already reaching for his pocket to retrieve his wallet. Katniss stopped him, her fingers gripping his wrist a little too tight.

He stared at her, confused. His sapphire eyes studied her curiously, thick with arousal which they usually were after she serviced him. He wanted her, she knew that.

"Come on then," She said, tracing her fingers down his front.

"What?" He whispered. "I didn't ask fo-"

"On the house," Katniss muttered. _Anything to get you to leave me the fuck alone, _she thought. Her fingers reached his belt and began undoing the buckle.

"I don't-I don't understand-"

"Shh." She ripped his zip down and kissed his neck, her subconcious screaming _don't do this, you don't need to do this. _She was usually good at silencing that voice but tonight she was easier to overpower and she fought her conscience harder as her fingers almost reached his crotch.

Cato let her kiss him for a moment. She didn't kiss his lips but it still felt good. It was hard to resist her charm. _Weakling, _Cato's conscience spat. _You're going to to this to her? Don't you remember the plan?_

He shook out of it. "Stop." He grabbed her. She continued, ignoring him. Her hands were under his shirt now, tracing the contours of his chest. He shivered but remained assertive. "Stop it, Girl on Fire."

She halted. Her grey eyes studied him with an intensity that had haunted him since the Games. Her black hair, curled and badly damaged from beauty products, covered part of her face as she watched me. "_What _did you just call me?"

"I, uh,-"

"How dareyou?" She retracted from his embrace quickly, anger singeing her throat. "How _dare _you?"

Cato's jaw clenched. He hated being spoken to like a child but he tried to remember that she was the prostitute servicing a client here not him. He swallowed his anger and said "I know you don't understand-"

"Damn right I don't understand!" Katniss growled. She knew she was breaking one of the very first rules of prostitution - never aggravate a customer. But she couldn't help it. "How _dare _you come back here and mock my pain over and over and over again?! As if seeing me here wasn't enough, you had to keep coming back for more."

Cato grabbed her wrists hard and she tried to pull away from him. He held firmly. "You're in no place to ask questions."

She spat a mouthful of saliva into his face which landed nicely in one of his eyes. Before she knew it his hand struck her across the cheek, blinding her with pain she remembered from the Games when he caught her off guard. She fell back onto the floor as Cato towered over her.

"I've done what you paid for," She hissed, cradling her face with both hands as tears involuntarily spilled over her cheeks. "Leave me be."

"Fine," said Cato. He looked over his shoulder quickly, his eyes anxious for one fleeting second. His long warm fingers fished around his pocket and retrieved a roll of dollar notes. "Sixty five - keep the cash." He knelt down to her on one knee and tucked the cash in her cleavage.

"Sixty five?" Katniss whispered.

"A tip for your..._generous _offer." Cato muttered, quickly. "I'll see you again, Songbird. I can see myself out." He wrenched the curtain open. "Enjoy that money next time you're alone. Buy yourself something nice. But be careful, it's highly _flammable._"

She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. He disappeared into the foyer and left.

Katniss rose from the floor and looked around at the room, confused. It was similar to all the other private rooms, decked out with a mini bar, a double bed encased in velvet and a creepy pro-Capitol portrait; _Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever. _An actual rose bud was the centre piece of the art. Heaven forbid you forget you're a prisoner whilst giving a client fellatio.

Then she noticed the light reflecting off of the heart of the flower. She shuffled towards the wall and studied it closer. At a nearer distance she could recognise the familiar lens of a security camera, small enough to fit right inside the bud of the rose. It stared back at her evily.

She'd forgotten they had cameras installed here and fair enough so. You never know when some client will stumble in half intoxicated and start pushing around a few hookers and stealing from the mini bar. Though he's a fan of BDSM, Helio doesn't like violence being brought into his brothel. He usually has guards on call to make sure nothing too serious happens to his workers. He has cameras everywhere except for a few old disused maintenance closets next to the cellar.

Katniss pondered why Cato would be anxious about being watched. He's a victor, beloved by the Capital. If anything he should be taking advantage of the attention, maybe strike a ridiculous pose and say his favourite catch phrase. The only reason he would be nervous is if he was committing some form of crime or something but there's not much illegal when dealing with old victor prostitu-

It hit her that maybe he was trying to tell her something. Could he... could he really be trying to communicate with her?

She vacated the private room and made for the cellar.

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**There ya go! What'd you think?**

**If I didn't directly answer your questions then they will most likely be answered in future chapters, you just gotta stay tuned ;)**

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**The next installment will be done on the 27th :)**

**PEACE OUT HOME DOGS**


	3. The Spark

**Hey HG fans :D Welcome to the next installememt of Two Lost Souls. **

**I think I must be like the worst author ever - never keeping to my deadlines! I've decided not to select a clear date but to give myself a week or two to get it done. If it's not out their then I'm either dead or sleeping. My bad XD**

**Anywho,**

**ENJOY!**

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The cellar was an old abandoned room; it consisted of rows of barren, dusty wine racks. Katniss could tell by the dust on the ground it had not been accessed for a long time. But that didn't stop her from locking the door behind her. She also noticed a smaller closet across the room which seemed all the more careful.

Using her thumbs to unscroll the money, her heart pounded.

Nothing.

The weight slammed back onto her shoulders as she realised she'd gotten her hopes up for nothing.

She slumped against the wall of the closet. The money fell through her fingers and filtered onto the floor. Her knees gave out from under her. She hit the surprisingly solid floor hard and felt a sharp pain in her tail bone. It splintered her nerves like sharp acid coated prickles. Damn. She thought.

She could tell already that it wasn't broken or anything but it still caused excruciating pain when she moved. Injuries – though few and far in between – were the worst to have in this business. If you can still smile and open your mouth wide enough then you're all set to work. The customers demand quality service and unless you are bedridden with a sneaky STI or paralysed from the neck down, you're expected to perform. You can't fake sickness either. They make you prove you can't work which is a humiliating process .

Katniss had tried everything from paralysis to faux gonorrhoea; she failed every time. Faking a disease got harder to pull off especially when they introduced the Injection. It not only made the patient sterile but heightened the ph levels to disease-lethal acidity, eliminating every chance of catching anything.

Katniss hated that Injection. Not only had it allowed complete exposure to strangers but it robbed her of any chances of creating a family. Not that she could ever raise a child in this environment anyways – all pregnancies are strictly prohibited. Katniss was just glad that she never had to deal with that. She didn't like to cry but she figured it didn't happen if no one was around to bear witness. Not to mention she'd already shown weakness to a client – an ultimate failure in every prostitute's eyes. Hot teardrops stung her cheeks as she sobbed. Her anguish dissolved into vicious anger as she reflected on the past few months.

She cursed herself for getting her hopes up yet again. Hope was a cruel creature, teasing you with the possibility of revolution and then stomping you down like a finished cigarette. And every extinguishing burnt her out harder and harder.  
She kicked a box of old cleaning supplies over and threw it against the opposing wall. She screamed, her lips pulling over her teeth like a trapped lioness lamenting her freedom.

She screamed until her voice almost disappeared and her throat felt like sandpaper. She resigned back to crying and stared at the mess.  
Cleaning spray bottles and rags littered the floor. She noticed a strange paper box resembling tobacco cases from home. With slow shaking fingers she reached forward and collected it. It felt heavy.

Inside were weird little paper sticks, similar to cigars but smaller. She pulled one out and examined it in the dim closet light. Also in the box was a small metal slab. She picked it up and flicked the lip open. It swung open on a hinge revealing some type of mechanical device.

She remembered seeing these in the hands of the more wealthy townspeople of 12. They would flick the metal ring and a flame would erupt from the device.  
Cato's last words to her echoed in her mind; Be careful, though. It's highly flammable.

Her mind clicked like a light switch as the saplings of an idea formed.

She searched the floor for the money and hoped she hadn't lost any of it. Not now. There were four to five bills, she remembered.

Ten minutes and many stumbles later, Katniss finally found a note which was surprisingly hard to locate. She grabbed the lighter and tried to flick it on just like she'd seen the people in 12 do. It took a few goes but she got it. One single flame billowed from it's metal stem, lighting up the dim janitors closet.

She took the bill and poised it over the fire. She hesitated She could use that cash to trade with a couple of black market workers down the street for some soap or maybe a new hairbrush. She could even use the money to buy a journal perhaps where she could document her feelings and possibly write poetry.

She prayed she wasn't wrong. If she was then it was goodbye valuable money. Sure, prostitutes get paid plenty but you'd be crazy to believe that they get to keep any of it. Most of it goes into Helio's pocket. What doesn't is spent on cheap supplies for his club.

But if she was right? This could be her chance. If Cato was trying to communicate with her, could it be her rescue? Was he working with secret rebels who survived the Capture?

"Well," She muttered to herself. "Here goes nothing."

Cato waited in the alley, his fingers knotting in his pockets nervously. The clock on his phone displayed the time 3:51am.

If she figured out his hints and received his message then she would be arriving soon. He waited in the dim area, his hood pulled over his head. He tried to distract himself from the anxious _what-if-she-didn't-get-it _thoughts by chewing his cheek and tapping his finger against his phone. He knew what he was doing was for the better but part of him didn't want to go through with it.

If Katniss loathed him after the Games then she would absolutely hate his guts now. He bit his lip and tried to remember what he'd planned to say.

Minutes crept past as Cato grew more and more anxious. He imagined her reaction – an angry glare, maybe a punch to the face. He didn't blame her. But he knew she couldn't refuse his offer.

His phone beeped. _4:00am _was displayed across the text. He disabled it and looked around. The alley was empty.

_C'mon, Katniss, _He thought.

He turned back to his side of the alley way and came face to face with a very hopeful yet very angry Katniss Everdeen.

At first he just stood there; his lips slightly parted in surprise or anxiety, his blue eyes dark and intimidating in the dim alley light.

Katniss was adorned in a satin cloak – it wasn't really her taste but it helped disguise her enough into any other street creeper at night. Snow would have her arrested on the spot if she were seen wandering out in broad daylight.

"Hello, Girl on Fire." Cato said, his voice just as brooding and arrogant as in the games.

Katniss couldn't resist landing a solid punch right on his face. Her fist collided with his brow and cheek bone. He staggered back, his face startled but not surprised.

"I've risked a lot to come out here. It better be important what you're trying to tell me." She said. It felt good to let out a little anger.

Cato clenched his jaw and fought the urge to hit her back. "Well, Katniss," He muttered, patting down the new forming bruise around his eye. "I came to offer you something."

"There's nothing I want from you."

"You sure about that?"

Katniss glared at him. She went to punch him again but he caught her wrist and held it with an iron grip. His other hand jammed into her throat and slammed her against the wall, their bodies pressed against each other. He could feel her heart beat racing in her chest. "I'm not here to exploit you further, Ms Everdeen."

She glared at him again, her grey eyes as venomous as vipers. She struggled against his strength but she was too weak to fight him.

"What are you here for then?" She choked out, his fingers limiting her breathing/speech capacity.

Cato neared her until their noses almost touched. She could feel his breath against her skin. "Salvation, Katniss. I am giving you the opportunity to leave the brothel behind..." He swallowed hard. "...and join me in my living quarters as my wife.

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**There ya go! I hope y'all enjoyed it.**

**So what do you think? Where do you think this is going? Let me know in a review!**

**I have great plans for this story so I hope you guys stay tuned! **

**So yeah, I'll the next chapter up in about one-two weeks tops. Any later than that proves I am a slacker with other priorities and that i genuinely suck at life XD**

**PEACE OUT HOMEDOGS**


	4. Memories

**Hey HG fans! Here is the next installment as promised! I thank you for keeping up with the story and sticking with me despite how long I take to update ;.; My bad.**

**ENJOY**

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Five years ago Katniss would never have conceived the possibility that she'd be walking down the aisle of a Capitol chapel in a Capitol gown to a Capitol asshole such as Cato Calloway. She'd much rather believe that pigs could grow wings and play the piano.

And yet here she was.

She studied the full length, flowing gown in the huge floor to ceiling mirror. She hadn't had any say in her wedding dress but she figured this one was a little less ghastly then what could have been. It was a simple dress made of pure white gold silk with a plunging backline and long sleeves. Her hair had been styled into a messy, low bun and studded all over with small pearls.

She looked like a bride, that was true.

Katniss used to envision her wedding to Peeta, way before the brothel, before the failure of the rebellion. She'd envisioned a gown made of lace with a squared, across-the-collar-bone neck line and a simple veil. The image would bring butterflies to her stomach as she envisioned that walk down the aisle, Prim trailing behind her tossing rose petals, her mother on her arm.

And now that imagination brought pain instead. Katniss couldn't bring herself to think about it any longer.

"I knew you'd hate it."

Katniss jumped. She hadn't thought anyone would be coming in here for another ten minutes or so. She turned to see the friendly face of someone she had almost forgotten.

"Enobaria?" Katniss's heart dropped.

The girl stood before her in a simple black gown with an almost awkwardly low neck line. Her thick black hair hung in a matching messy bun minus the pearls. Katniss couldn't move. She hadn't seen Enobaria since...since the—

"Heard you were getting hitched. I had to come see it for myself."

Katniss stared at her.

"Look I know we had our differences," Enobaria gave her a blunt toothed smile. "But I'm willing to see past that all for you today."

"On Snow's orders?" Katniss asked, bluntly.

The woman didn't confirm it but she didn't exactly say no either. Katniss shrugged and said "Well then I guess I'll see you in the audience."

"Actually you'll see me right next to you..." Enobaria swallowed. "As your Maid of Honour."

_Maid of Honour, _Katniss thought. _How stupid._

If it wasn't tense enough waiting for the 'go ahead', it was even worse with Enobaria waiting right next to her, plucking at loose pearls in her hair and wiping excess fabric dust off the gold trim. The only jewellery Katniss wore were two pearl studs and a gold chain around her neck. She thought that was symbolic in a way. That despite escaping the brothel, she could never outrun the power of the Capitol - the smug assholes.

There was no wedding reception. After saying their "I do's" and awkwardly kissing to seal the vows, Cato and Katniss barely looked at each other. All the guests enjoyed it anyways, some leaving for their own after parties which neither one of the new "happy couple" wanted to attend.

They sat in the back of the limousine, a foot apart and eyes not meeting. Their rings shone in the flickering sunlight as they drove through the Capitol. Occasionally Cato would sneak a glance at his new wife but her eyes were focussed on the window, making her face hard to see. When she looked down Cato noticed the familiar wet footprint of a tear on her cheek.

The sun set just as they arrived at Cato's abode. He showed her the kitchen and the lounge and lastly the bedroom.

"Bathroom's over there. Wardrobe's there." Cato pointed to two doors. Katniss regarded them vacantly. She was stunning in her wedding dress. Cato hadn't seen her in this light before, as a victim. In the Games she was no more than a deer waiting to be attacked. Looking back on that now, Cato felt ashamed. The silence lasted for a while as he waited for her to say something. Nothing.

"Well, uh," He cleared his throat and scratched his wrist. "I have a few errands to run. You can stay here; read a book. Make yourself at home."

She turned away, her fingers knotting within each other. He took that as his cue to leave.

Closing the double bedroom doors behind him, Cato waited. He didn't have to go until eight o'clock and the clock had just rung out seven. He leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor. His phone buzzed in his jacket pocket. Cato knew who it was.

_Till death do you part._

Cato bit his lip. As nasty as he is, Snow is no fool. The man closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. It really was final now.

He heard something from behind the doors. He strained his ears to hear and recognised it as ones sobbing. Katniss was trying to be quiet, he could tell. She continued for the next hour; distressed sobs slowing to quiet heaves. Soon she was silent and Cato figured she was probably asleep. He opened the door.

Katniss lay on her side in her wedding gown, the backless design exposing her back. When he neared to pull the blanket over her shoulder, he noticed the familiar shape of track marks peppered across her skin. From that angle she couldn't have administered it herself and from the looks of things she couldn't have possibly consented to it. Cato set his jaw, realising that it shouldn't be such a surprise. Capitol men are just as brutal as they are outspoken.

He turned back to the doors and locked them behind him.

She waited until she heard his car disappear before rising from the bed. Her wedding ring glinted in the moon light that filled the room.

She studied the band; white gold and studded with diamonds. It was beautiful but its very touch felt cold and evil. She wanted to toss it into the streets of the Capitol. She gripped the gold between her fingers and pulled. Nothing.

She tried again to no success. It was as if it has welded itself to her flesh the moment it came in contact with her skin. "Come on!" The girl grumbled, pulling harder.

Katniss tried for half an hour to loosen it, doing everything from burning her hand in scalding hot water and sawing through it with a kitchen knife. Nothing worked.

She stared at the blade in her hand and a thought occurred to her that there was another way. Katniss twisted the direction of the knife to her chest and clenched her jaw. _Come on. _She thought. _Just do it._

The girl held the knife until her arms grew numb. "Useless!" She muttered, resigning the blade to its drawer. "Coward." There was the balcony option. Just close your eyes and jump; not too hard right?

Katniss climbed atop the stone rail and closed her eyes, thinking about finally having peace and being welcomed into nothingness by Prim and Peeta and Gale and Cinna and...and...

She let herself fall forward. The ridge of her eyebrows hit a hard surface inches away from the end of the balcony. The electricity threw her backwards into the wooden floor of hers and Cato's bedroom. The silk of her gown and the friction of the wooden floors burned her.

_Ow, _she thought. Katniss sat up and winced at the sharp pain in her back as the air was sucked from her lungs. So Snow had a force field placed around the property to prevent her escape. She should have known. The fuckers.

Katniss changed out of her now tattered wedding dress and put on the silken night gown that waited conveniently on the bedside table. She figured it'd be more comfortable than the wedding dress and sleeping naked was definitely out of the question. Plus if Cato tried to join her in bed later on when he returns then Katniss wanted some type of protection.

She twisted the switch on the grand bedroom fireplace and immediately gentle flames erupted from the hearth.

Crawling under the sheets, Katniss imagined her mothers fingers running through her hair and Prim's sleeping body rising and lowering with breath beside her. Slowly and silently, she managed to drift into sleep.

* * *

**BOOM. What'd you think?**

**I'd originally written heaps and was going to post it as one chapter but it's enough to make about two I think so expect the next installment soon.**

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**PEACE OUT HOMEDOG**


	5. The Ghost of Her Past

**Hey HG fans :) Welcome to the next chapter.**

**No time for a big intro. ENJOY**

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Day on as husband and wife: Interesting.

Katniss had shut herself away in the bedroom and when Cato returned from his errands he couldn't bring himself to intrude. He slid his work satchel strap off of his broad shoulders, kicked off his shoes and resigned to the couch for the night.

However a couple of hours into the night Cato was woken by a horrified scream; someone being attacked or robbed or something. Out of instinct Cato made for the bedroom, ready to strangle whoever was breaking in. What he found instead was a rather distressed though asleep Katniss clawing at her bed sheets with tears streaming down her face.

"Katniss," Cato urged. She didn't hear him. He grabbed her shoulder. Immediately her eyes clamped open and she screamed for him to get out.

Shutting the door behind him, the man stood blank for a while; not really sure what to do.

_My rebel uniform hangs in tatters from my body. _

_"Ms Everdeen," Snow croons, materialising behind me. My heart pounds as I feel the tip of a blade press into my spine. He forces me to walk down the velvet carpet floors. The thick scent of artificial smoke pollutes my nose and makes me think of the time I stuck my face near a car pipe and wound up with a face full of exhaust. Except this smoke was less mechanical and more glittery if that made any sense. The dense sensation makes me feel as though I am rotting._

_I do not want to be here. I want to leave. But I know Snow will kill me. "I admire your courage," He pushed the knife a little deeper into my back forcing the skin to break. I walked faster. "But not even the brightest flame can burn down an empire."_

_Though it is against my best interest, I cannot help but reply with "It has been done before. I've read about many powerful empires falling to a simple matchstick left unattended."_

_We continue around a corner. There is a line of curtained doorways. I am terrified to think what is behind them. If only they hadn't found the capsule in my tooth, I would be dead on a street somewhere; victorious. Not trapped by the President and being escorted to what feels like a drug exchange. _

_"You victors get so arrogant," Snow whispers. The blade pushes deeper and I yelp. "You think everything is yours, that you're entitled. I think you'll find that I own everything. Your home is mine. Your future is mine. Your life isn't yours." _

_We stop outside a doorway. "Your body isn't yours." He retracts the knife from my back and the blade glints red when I look. My fingertips are glazed with the same maroon hue when I reach back to touch the wound. Blood has already begun oozing down my back. "Don't worry, Ms Everdeen," Snow wipes the blade on a tidy black handkerchief. "This won't kill you. I intend for you to live a long _fruitful _life."_

_He swipes the curtain aside and my arms are seized by a tall, strong Capitol man. He is not small and lean like the rest of the population. No this is one of the few who can bother going to a gym every now and again. Good for him. But bad for me. My captor winks at the president and, with one swift movement, rips my clothes apart from my body. _

_"You belong to me," Snow croons._

_I am left at the mercy of the man who strips me bare. Gripping my underarms with force that I know will cause bruises, the man throws me onto the velvet bed. I know what is happening. And as the stranger forces himself onto me, I pray that the gash on my back would tear open and bleed out._

"Katniss!" Cato's hand on her arm acted as a tasor, jolting Katniss into awareness.  
Fear prickling her heart, Katniss screamed for the man to get his hands off her. "Get out!" She screeched, recoiling against the head board of the bed.

Instead of hitting her like she'd anticipated (it was second nature for a client of the brothel to strike a disobedient whore) Cato retracted his arm and rose from the bed. Within seconds the door was closed behind him and Katniss was left alone.

She'd been scratching her wrists again. It was a horrible habit that she'd developed after her first year in the brothel. After the constant use of drugs so numerous she lost count, her skin reacted badly; flaring up with insatiable itches in random places which wouldn't go away until the flesh had been scratched raw. For this purpose Katniss liked to keep her nails short but that kind of thing is hard when the brothel constantly forces you to wear artificial nails the size of counters.

Long scratches spread across her forearms, some deep enough to draw small beads of blood. "Dammit."

Slipping her legs through the fabric of the bed, Katniss made for the bathroom. She felt disgusting.

Katniss had always loved baths. Most of her fondest memories from her childhood were spent in the watery confines of the tub. Often she would sink below the surface and imagine herself growing fins and scales, gliding along a beautiful ocean floor with underwater sea friends. Thinking about it now, she felt silly. But that didn't stop her from doing the same thing now.

She wasn't Katniss anymore. She was a fish. As stupid as it sounded, she didn't care. She liked the freedom of having the whole ocean at ones disposal, being able to go anywhere at the command of your fins. So she lay there as long as her lungs allowed, imagining a morning through the kelp, passing schools of fish and conversing with the occasional octopus.

Katniss stayed under until her lungs felt as though they were literally going to burst apart. She splashed out of the water in a strangled mess, gulping in air in a fashion she always made sure to hide from others.

Using her thumbs, she squeezed the water droplets from her eyes and opened them to see a rather pensive looking Cato watching her right back.

"Holy shit," the girl stammered. Thankfully the bath was dense with millions of glorious, protective bubbles that concealed her body from her husband. "Dude, don't you knock?"

Instead of shifting uncomfortably like she'd expected, Cato didn't move. Then she realised that he was also undressed. Oh no, she thought. Please don't tell me he's going to try have sex with her in the bath or something. Katniss winced at the idea.

"I was going to have a shower before work today but they gave me the week off and a bath sounds nice."

Katniss sighed, closing her eyes in disappointment. Guess her fish bath was over. She motioned for him to turn around. He didn't.

"Let me get out of your way," the girl asked.

Cato dropped the towel from his waist and said "You're not in it."

Stepping into the water across from her, Katniss held her breath. This could only get weirder. She didn't open her eyes until he'd settled in. Due to the tubs size, there wasn't much room for the both of them.

_We are both naked. In a tub. Within a metre of one another. What._

"Don't look so confused," Cato muttered. "We're married. We kinda have to act like it."

"What?"

The expression on the man's face froze as he looked uncomfortable. "Meaning that we're both celebrities. It would be unacceptable for us not to keep up appearances."

"You're the celebrity, you mean," Katniss muttered, folding her legs. "I'm pretty sure the Capitol forgot about me the moment they threw me in that place."

"They most certainly didn't," Cato argued, his voice calm and collected. He reached for the body soap dispenser and held out his free hand towards his wife. She hesitated at first but, realising that because it was he who freed her from the brothel she was officially in his debt, conformed. She realised now that truly being husband and wife in every sense of the phrase was her service to him which made her wonder if she'd really been freed at all.


End file.
